Henna

For this batch I boiled some fenugreek, cardamom pods, and berries in a pot until the water was a deep red, then I strained it. I mixed it with the Henna, along with lemon juice, white sugar, and Neroli oil until I got a nice paste. The stain I was trying to achieve wasn’t as dark or as rich as I would’ve liked. However, I don’t think it was due to my method, but simply because the Henna was of low quality. A box was only about $2.00 at the Mid-Eastern market, so I guess you get what you pay for. Last time, I received help from my sister-in-laws, Jenny and Karen to make sure it was evenly distributed throughout my hair. Applying it by myself proved more difficult (especially with a newly mobile child) but I think it turned out fine. Not as RED as I hoped, but since Henna is really good for hair, at least it made it shinier and healthier looking. Using a Ziploc baggie full of Henna, I cut a small hole at the corner to draw on the tattoos. Not the easiest or most convenient approach, but I didn’t have a whole lot to work with. I made a sun on my wrist, a Pisces symbol on my foot, and a Hibiscus flower with Vessel’s name in cursive on my leg. I think Vessel’s name looks very beautiful written out. So that was how my time was spent last night.
 

My design inspiration

Sun design on my wrist. 

My zodiac sign, Pisces, on the top of my foot. 

The Morning with Vessie Ves

Somehow Vessel can always sense it as soon as I get up and start getting ready to head to work, no matter how quiet I am! Well, I have to admit that my day wouldn't be as much fun if I didn't have a chance to play with my boy for half an hour or so in the morning. I mean, how can you have a bad day when the first person you hang out with is in a great mood and just wants to play around and spend time with you, right? Anyway, the other day we found this hat that Jamie and her sister made a couple of weeks ago, and it magically fit his head! Well, I have to admit it was a tad on the tall side, but if he was more of a conehead, it would be perfect.

Happiness

     My life has been so good lately. I keep thinking that I don't remember a time when I felt this content. I am finally happy with myself. Of course, some days I have struggles, which is to be expected. But for the most part, I really love this stage of my life. I am surprisingly accepting of the way things are. Some might think it would be difficult dealing with my mom being gone. The truth is, yeah, it is hard sometimes. I miss her like crazy and wish I could talk to her. I wish I could've seen the joy on her face as she experienced holding her grandson. She wanted to be a grandma more than anything in the world. It seems unfair...the timing and everything.  
     
     BUT the Lord knows why things happen when they do, and that is enough for me. I don't need all the answers. I have come to accept that. As a mortal, my view and perception is very limited, whereas God's view is infinite and beyond my capacity to comprehend. I trust Him. I know that without the gospel, my mom's death would be so much harder on me. But my testimony is strong. My faith is strong. I am excited to perform her temple work and I believe she has been preparing for that special event while in the spirit world. But anyway, I am at peace. I am okay.
     
     This summer has been the best summer I've had in years. I just feel elated. I'm in the middle of several projects right now and they keep me busy. Vessel keeps me busy too. I enjoy motherhood and it's more fulfilling than I even anticipated. Mike and I are more in love than ever. Everything is going great at his new job. I've made a lot of good friends recently. I like where we live for the time being. But most of all I'm just happy with who I am and what I'm doing for the first time in my life. I am not wishing for things to be different like I used to. I am just having a wonderful time living the life I have been blessed with.

It's Not Pink, It's Light Red

It's been said that real men wear pink, and here you have it folks. Although, in these pictures, our little Vessel might easily be mistaken for our little Vesselina. This romper used to be yellow with a yellow duck at the bottom. But now, due to a washing mishap, its turned a very lovely shade of pink. Magenta perhaps? Salmon?

Laundrological Engineering

This is what happens when a red article gets tossed in the washer with the rest of the load. A few items pictured here: Vessel's washcloth, Vessel's romper, a dishtowel, and one of Vessel's bibs. Ooops.      

Quality Time

Here's Vessel and Jamie taking a Sunday nap. Cutest thing of all time, eh?

Toy Trucks

Vessel got this Tonka dump truck from Grandpa Brett after he was born. He's not quite big enough to push it around, but he's just the right size for getting pushed around in it!  

Splish Splash

 

 Seven Peaks Water Park.....lots of screaming kids, hairy backs, and girls in bikinis who SHOULD NOT show off that much skin, am I right? Despite all that, we ended up having the time of our lives sliding, tubing, swimming, and flying off the rope swing. My favorite part was getting schooled by a bunch of kids on the lily pads. For the life of us, Mike, Steph, and I could not make it across those stupid lily pads! What a bunch of weaklings we are.

Everyone Looks More Beautiful in the Glow of the Fire

Steph and Cheetos by the fire.

     Over the weekend my sister was able to visit us for a few days. Our initial plan was to go camping Friday night, so we packed all the gear and food and went up the canyon to look for a spot. After some amount of driving and extensive searching for "the perfect spot" we ended up settling for a place tucked into the dense foliage down a hill from the side of the road. It was getting dark, so we had no choice. 

     While Mike and Danny struggled to put the tent together, Steph and I made a fire. The boys finally gave up on on the tent (we later found out we didn't have the right poles to put it up anyway) so we all just sat around the fire and enjoyed our homemade tinfoil dinners and banana boats (which we learned how to make at our last camping trip with our dear friends Sheldon and Michelle Masias....thanks guys!) There was also some fine singing involved around the campfire. Good times, good times. 

     Without a protective tent, we feared getting ravaged by cougars, coyotes, and bears in the night. We ended up sleeping at the Bates' house instead. So much for camping out. Sorry Steph!

Eatin' Peas

Vessel loves to eat, but I'm sure none of you could tell from just looking at the cute little fat rolls all over his body. He is learning how to feed himself, but as you can see, the food pretty much gets everywhere. So far he's tried rice cereal, applesauce, bananas, sweet potatoes, peas, apricots, avocados and little tastes of other things here and there. Although he is familiarizing himself with solids as well as spoons and drinking cups, he still prefers nursing above anything else right now. But I have no qualms with that what-so-ever. 

   

Vessel's Tiny Tongue

In Honor of Father's Day

Seriously, Not only is Mike the best husband ever, he is also the best father ever. He does so much for our son and I can tell Vessel loves him very much. Vessel is incredibly lucky.

Remembering Mom

     The 19th of this month will mark the one year anniversary of my mother's passing. Last month was the first time I visited her headstone. I placed some lilacs on her grave and sat there for a very long time. As I sat and reflected, I felt a comforting feeling sweep over me that gave me peace. I know I will see her again. I have a strong testimony that she is okay where she is at.  She is still learning and progressing in the spirit world. I think she is watching over me and my sister Stephanie. I miss her.  There are many things I still do not understand about my mom, and I regret not knowing more about her before her death.  But I will remember her in a good way.  In MY way.  She was beautiful.

  

Our Little Man

     
     Vessel is growing up too fast. It seems like he is losing many of his baby qualities.  Sometimes when I look at him I see a little man instead of a delicate baby. He is learning about things that are funny. For instance, when I was doing the dishes, I flicked water on him and he looked at me in utter confusion. I did it a few more times, and then I started laughing, and only then did he start laughing too. Now when I do it, he laughs because he thinks it's something funny. He imitates us when we laugh at other things as well (things he normally wouldn't laugh at by himself) but only because we laugh at them. Now I am starting to realize how powerful parents' influence can be. Obviously, he will be his own person with his own ideas, but I wonder how many of those future ideas will stem from the ideas that Mike and I have unconsciously embedded in him. I hope that I can be a good role model for him and raise him up to be a good person...a caring, strong, happy, sensitive, funny, smart, compassionate person. And if nurture wins the argument over nature, I might have a chance.     
     
     Some new things for Vessel: 

•      He's cutting his first teeth.  Thankfully these first ones haven't given him a problem. 

•      It's getting harder to distract him with other objects when I take away something that he wants that he shouldn't be playing with. It's almost like he throws a tantrum, if that's possible at his age. 

•      He recently pulled himself up to a standing position all by himself. The kid can't crawl yet, but he has such an interest in standing up that he now straightens and locks his legs when we try to sit him down. Sometimes I have to physically force his legs to bend so he'll sit down instead of stand up. So there he was next to his bouncer, and the next thing I know, he grabbed onto the bar and (with a few grunting sounds) pulled himself up until he was standing and leaning against the bar. Luckily I was there to catch him when he finally lost his balance. I'm sure there will be plenty of tumbles and spills down the road that I won't be able to prevent. *sigh* He's just growing up too fast.....
  

Friends

 

This is me and my friend Shanna.  We both like infomercials, especially the exercise ones.  You know, the ones where they show off some fancy piece of equipment and all you have to do is sit on it and it does all the work for you?  And then you become a totally different person in the "after" picture.  Those are classic.  With all our friends that are moving away this summer (Passeys, Johnsons, Goebels) we hope the Simpsons (Scott and Shanna) will remain, and consider moving to Arbor Lane, where the bullets roam freely and the late night noise disturbances are plentiful.

"Rubber Ducky, You're the One"

This picture makes me laugh every time I see it!  Whenever Vessel gets excited about something or sees a toy he wants, his eyes get humongous and he kicks his legs furiously.  It's pretty entertaining.

"Shippy"

Mike and Vessel

Kaminari

This is the newest addition to our family.  A Kawasaki 2005 Vulcan.  Her name?  Kaminari.  A very fitting name, which means "thunder" in Japanese.   

Jamie and her Board

This board has been good to me.  It lets me do just about anything from cruising to carving.  I love my Sector 9, baby!

Ready for the Sun

After slathering waterproof sunblock all over Vessel and donning him in this adorable Hawaiian print beach outfit, he was ready to hit the waves.

 

Water Baby

This was Vessel's first time "swimming" outside of the bathtub.  He was more content just playing with his bucket than sitting in the cold water.  I don't blame him though, it was quite chilly.